After the Los Angeles Lakers got swept in the Western Conference Finals, LeBron James was cryptic in his postgame press conference, hinting at potentially retiring. However, the Lakers front office went into this offseason with the plan of still building a team that fits around James.
Their instinct was right as James announced at the ESPYs that he is not done quiet yet and will be returning for his 21st season. Prior to the speech, he was giving his nods of approval to the new additions to the Lakers through social media.
One of those adding was Cam Reddish, a 23-year-old former lottery pick who is still trying to find his way in the NBA. Reddish was someone the Lakers have had eyes on for a while and were able to sign him to a two-year, veteran minimum deal. James seems to be a fan of his skillset:
Reddish is coming to the Lakers to prove himself and also continue developing as a player. He could be following the footsteps of Malik Monk and Lonnie Walker IV, who both came to Los Angeles on ‘prove it’ deals and were able to show their potential.
In his 20 games with the Portland Trail Blazers, Reddish averaged 11 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists on 44% from the field and 31% from the 3-point line. But, it is clear that James is a believer in former lottery pick and hopes he can unleash something out of Reddish.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach Darvin Ham also still believe that there is something the former Duke Blue Devil has not shown yet. This is the biggest stage that Reddish has been on in his young career and it will test him to see if he has what it takes to be a contributor to a championship team. Having someone like James in his corner will certainly help.
Rob Pelinka believes Cam Reddish has all the tools to be successful for Lakers
Pelinka believes that Ham and his coaching staff will be able to work with Reddish and help establish himself as a player. Lakers assistant coach Chris Jent spent time with Reddish back in Atlanta and the two are very close, which should help with his development.
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